Kasai Rinkai Koen 1

About 2 weeks ago, we visited Kasai Rinkai Koen, which faces Tokyo Bay and where you'd expect to see all sorts of birds like waders, ducks, woodland birds and raptors. 

Between the East Beach and the West Beach, there were hundreds of these Greater Scaups (Suzugamoスズガモ) resting on the beach or floating on the water. This park is famous for wintering Greater Scaups, we learnt:)

With a closer look, they are gorgeous!

A pair of Black-necked Grebes (Hajirokaitsuburiハジロカイツブリ) were hunting. They have started changing into breeding plumage.

This lone one caught something yummy!

A Common Sandpiper (Isoshigiイソシギ) was seen on his own. We learnt that Common Sandpipers are common all over Japan.

We just managed to spot a pair of Kentish Plovers (Shirochidoriシロチドリ) in the distance. Have they arrived here for breeding or been wintering here, I wonder.

A Slaty-backed Gull (Ousegurokamomeオオセグロカモメ) found something in the pool. Amazing that gulls can detect edible stuff even it's completely covered by water.

I don't fancy this though;)

There are 2 beaches away from the main park and only the West Beach is accessible by the footbridge.

About the park
http://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/english/park/detail_02.html#kasairinkai

Aoba no Mori Koen

On the 24th March, the cherry blossoms in the Kanto area are 'officially' in full bloom:) Loads of people were having 'Ohanami' parties wherever you could find some room under the cherry trees.

In Aoba no Mori Koen...

...away from the partying people,

a female Hawfinch was enjoying her breakfast:)

Female Hawfinches don't have a black eye-patch (so we learned!).

She seemed so determined to eat and didn't mind us watching her quite closely:)

A White Wagtail was jumping up and down to catch insects:)

Grey Starlings came down to the lake to have a nice bath.
One...

Two...

Three...

Four!

Flowers & Birds

Here are some pictures of birds enjoying Japanese flowers...

We weren't sure what this bird was or what it was doing...

It was a Brown-eared Bulbul (Hiyodoriヒヨドリ) which was actually eating the whole flower!

A Japanese White-eye (Mejiroメジロ) drinking nectar

 Who am I?

A Hawfinch (Shimeシメ) eating part of the blossoms

Mizumoto Kawasemi no Sato 2

More photos from Mizumoto Kawasemi no Sato.

Great Egrets (Daisagiダイサギ) landed just a few yards away from us. We saw Great Egrets in the Somerset Levels in Feb for the first time in the UK but we learned they are rather common in this area:)

This Little Egret (Kosagiコサギ) caught a slimy Oriental Weatherfish (dojo-ドジョウ). Yummy!?

A lone Oriental Greenfinch or Grey-capped Greenfinch (Kawarahiwaカワラヒワ) was eating some seeds on the ground. He (she?) looked darker than the ones found in the UK, maybe just because of the light?

Hawfinch (Shimeシメ)!!! We were so chuffed to see one. We could hear him (her?) cracking open the seeds. Powerful beak!

Cormorants or Great Cormorants (Kawauカワウ) were very busy making their nests. We've never seen so many Cormorants at one place.

An island for Cormorant nests. The trees were all covered with their droppings and looked very dead... but as long as the cormorants are happy, no problem!

A female Black-faced Bunting (Aojiアオジ)
There are quite a few buntings in Japan, so we've got to learn what each of them look like;)

We counted about 38 species in this park during our walk for about 3.5 hours.  The park looks very well managed thanks to the park staff and volunteers.

Mizumoto Kawasemi no Sato 1

On the 8th March, we were birding in the Mizumoto Park, part of which is managed as a sanctuary for Kingfishers (Kawasemi no Sato). Half-hour guided walks are organised twice every day around this sanctuary area and we were told a pair of Kingfishers had started building their nest on an artificial bank:)

A Kingfisher (Kawasemiカワセミ) posed for us while we were on the guided walk:)

A pair of Little Grebe (Kaitsuburiカイツブリ) in breeding plumage. Yamazaki-san, who led the guided tour, said Little Grebes breed in this park every year.

A Bull-headed Shrike (Mozuモズ) was busy hunting insects and all the little birds around her went mad with alarm calls.

We see Japanese Pygmy Woodpeckers (Kogeraコゲラ)  quite often in the east part of Tokyo and their distinct calls make it easy for us to notice their presence. Really cute!!!

Great Tits (Shiju-karaシジュウカラ) are amazingly doing well in the Tokyo area. They have a paler colour on their belly and sing a bit lower pitch than the ones in the UK.

Wigeons (Hidorigamoヒドリガモ) are wintering in and out of the park and will leave soon for their breeding sites in Siberia.

About the park (in English)
http://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/english/park/detail_03.html#mizumoto

Sarue Koen

On the 1st March, we went to a park called Sarue Koen. In the park are some artificial ponds and Japanese gardens and we saw winter visitors fuelling up for their journey back to the north.

Grey Starling or White-cheeked Starlings (Mukudoriムクドリ) bathing
and Pintails（Onaga-gamoオナガガモ）

male Pale Thrush（Shiroharaシロハラ)

 Dusky Thrush (Tsugumiツグミ）

 Brown-eared Bulbul（Hiyodoriヒヨドリ）

female Daurian Redstart（Joubitakiジョウビタキ）

We also saw 2 Japanese White-eyeｓ, 100+ Grey Starlingｓ, quite a few Great Titｓ, a Brown-headed Thrush, 10+ Azure-winged Magpieｓ, 100+ Tree Sparrowｓ, 4 Spot-billed Duckｓ, 10+ Tufted Duck, a White Wagtail, 10+ Oriental Turtle Doveｓ.

About the park (in Japanese)
http://tokyo-eastpark.com/modules/Top_Sarueonshi/

Yokojikkengawa Canal Park

On 28th Feb, we walked along a canal (the Yokojikken-gawa), which is a kind of oasis for birds around the east-end of Tokyo (between the Clover-bashi bridge and the Yacho no Shima Island). On the little island, which was specially built for birds, we saw quite a few herons and egrets along with a few Spot-billed Ducks.

Black-crowned Night Heron (Goisagi ゴイサギ)

 Little Egret (Kosagi　コサギ）　& Black-crowned Night Heron (juvenile; called Hoshigoiホシゴイ）

At least 10 Little Egrets were busy preening here and there and 2 pairs of Grey Herons (Aosagiアオサギ） have started building their nests.  

Along the canal footpaths, there were loads of them chattering on the electric wires:)

Grey Starling or White-cheeked Starling (Mukudoriムクドリ)

 very chatty just like the starlings in the UK!

We were really pleased to know how well they are doing in the centre of Tokyo.

About the canal walk (in Japanese)
http://www.city.koto.lg.jp/seikatsu/douro/10078/17620.html